The Nation - News from May 26, 1989

A federal appeals court ruling that upheld the right of a profoundly retarded boy to be educated at public expense was applauded by a disability advocate who said it lifts a threat to special education. The ruling Wednesday by the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston overturned a U.S. District Court ruling in New Hampshire that said the boy, identified only as Timothy W., could not benefit from the services. “I feel it is a reaffirmation of what I thought was clear all along--that all handicapped students are entitled to an education,” said attorney Ronald Lospennato, who represented the boy and the Disabilities Rights Center.